Countdown Day

The final countdown day before going live with a shiny new version of my software in Bradford. This is always a stressful time. The nearer you get to the crunch, the more the mind becomes focussed, the more issues you discover to check out, and therefore the more problems you find. But the dress rehearsal eventually went okay and everything was in place for the changeover following the last clinic tonight. That was done smoothly and all seemed to test fine. I guess I will only find out for sure tomorrow.

Met up with our Libyan friends again today. Following a visit we made to Tripoli at the beginning of last year, they are very keen to deploy the software over there, the little issue of producing an Arabic interface aside! They are such truly wonderful people. They arranged a trip to the desert for us last time and I acquired a bit of a reputation by going for a long run across the dunes and then back to the hotel. Now they want to take me even further into the desert! Their hospitality is fantastic.

Got back from the office feeling very weary but it was a pleasantly warm evening so I tried to persuade No.2 son to come out for a short ride on the bike. Neither of us really wanted to get out, but I finally convinced him that it would good for both of us to get some air. He's caught in that bind of not being very fit at the moment and knows that he's going to struggle for a while before the fitness kicks back in. But, actually, I was surprised by his speed and strength - in short bursts anyway. We just went out through Askwith to Weston and back, about 10 miles, and he had me working very hard in places! And we did both feel so much better for it. I made him remember that feeling afterwards so that I can remind him about it!